Turntable holder for attaching a dumping hook to a ladle



1953 E. J. POGO ETAL 3,105,276

TURNTABLE HOLDER FOR ATTACHING A DUMPING HOOK TO A LADLE Filed Sept. 21, 1961 'Figi.

INVENTORS. EDWARD J. POGO AND LAWRENCE N. STACK A 7' TORNEV United States Patent M 3,105,276 TUPNTABLE HGLDER FUR ATTACHING A DUMPING HOGK TO A LADLE Edward Ii. logo, 530 N. Wisconsin St, Hobart, Ind., and Lawrence N. Stack, 4432 Ryan Court, Gary, Ind. Filed Sept. 21, 1951, Ser. No. 139,757 4 Ciaims. (5. 22-32) The present invention relates generally to ladles for molten metal and more particularly to an apparatus for supporting a ladle-dumping hook in position for attachment to a molten-metal ladle.

In conventional open-hearth steel making practice, the molten steel made in the open-hearth turnace is discharged into a refractory-lined molten-metal ladle Weighing an average of l50160 tons for teeming into ingot molds. The ladle has a stoppered opening in the bottom thereof whereby the molten steel is poured into the ingot molds during the teeming operation. After the teeming operation has been completed, all slag and debris remaining in the ladle must be removed before the ladle can be used to receive another charge of molten metal. This is done by lowering the ladle while it is suspended from the ladle-crane until the ladle bottom is appro mately 4 to 6 feet above the open-hearth pit-side floor in the vicinity of the area where the slag and debris are to be dumped. There, a vdumping hook, which is fastened to one end of a chain sling, is attached to a U-shaped dumping lug which depends from the center of the ladle bottom and the other end of the chain sling is attached to the hook of a dumping lift hoist, The ladle is then dumped to cast out the slag and debris by raising the dumping lift hoist hook to rotate the ladle until the bottom thereof is turned 180 degrees from its normal position.

Prior to our invention the dumping book was attached to the dump lug on the suspended ladle manually by a workman who, carrying the dumping hook on his shoulder and dragging the chain sling behind him, walked under the suspended ladle and lifted the dumping hook to attach it to the ladle lug. After he had so attached the dumping hook, the workman would pick up the link at the other end of the chain sling and attach it to the dumping lift hoist hook which had meanwhile been lowered into a position level with and adjacent to the bottom of the ladle. Then the ladle was dumped by manipulation of the dumping lift hoist by the crane operator.

"Fastening the dumping hook manually as described above was not only hazardous but arduous as well. By walking and working under the suspended ladle the workman exposed himself to possible injury or death in the event a malfunction in the crane-lifting equipment developed or if the ladle was lowered accidentally.. The chain sling to which the dumping hook was fastened was approximately seven feet long and weighed from 150 to 200 pounds, so that carrying the dumping hook and dragging the chain sling, and then lifting the hook overhead to affix it onto the ladle lug while moving under the suspended ladle required more than ordinary exertion. If such trouble as mentioned above did occur While the workman was under the suspended ladle, his escape therefrom would be impeded by the hook and chain sling burden.

It is accordingly, the primary object of our invention to provide an apparatus for safely and easily atlixing a ladle-dumping hook to a suspended ladle from a position removed from the area under the suspended ladle.

It is another object of our invention to provide an apparatus for supporting a ladle-dumping hook under a suspended ladle in a position wherein the dumping hook N 3,105,276 Patented Oct. 1, 1963 can be engaged by the dumping lug of the ladle when the ladle is manipulated by the crane operator.

These and other objects will become more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line III-HI of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view partly in section showing the holder supporting a ladle-dump hook for attachment to a ladle.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, reference numeral 2 designates a molten-metalladle of conventional construction {having a dumping lug 4 depending from the center of the bottom thereof. In FIGURE 4 the ladle is shown suspended above the turntable holder of the invention, designated generally by reference number '6, on the hooks 8 of an overhead ladle crane.

The turntable holder 6 of the invention includes a base 10 on which is centrally mounted an upright standard 1-2 constructed of side plates 14 and a top plate 16. A swivel bolt 18 is disposed with its head adjacent the underside of the top plate 16 and its shank projecting upwardly through a central opening in the top plate. A thrust bearing 20 is disposed around the upwardly projecting shank of swivel bolt 18 above the top plate to provide a bearing for a horizontally disposed beam 22. The beam 22, which is in the form of a channel section disposed with its open side up, is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the swivel bolt 18 with its web resting on the thrust hearing, A hold-down nut 24 threaded on the shank of the swivel bolt secures the beam 22 to the standard. A longitudinal slot 25 is provided in the web of the beam 22 for receiving the shank of the swivel bolt 18. The slot 25 permits limited lengthwise movement of the beam relative to the upright standard 12 for a purpose which will become apparent. The hold-down nut 24 is maintained loose enough to permit the beam 22 to pivot fully 360 around the swivel bolt and also to pivot vertically at either end in an arc of approximately 12 inches. A longitudinally extending slot =26 through the web of the channel section is provided adjacent each end of the beam 22 for receiving the handle of a ladle-dumping hook as will be more fully explained hereinafter. A handle 27 may be provided at each end of the beam 22 whereby the beam can be more easily manipulated.

In operation, a chain sling 28 having a ladle-dumping hook 30 fastened to one end and a connecting link 32 on its other end is laid horizontally along the channel section beam 22 with the handle 34 of the ladle-dumping hook 30 resting in one of the slots 26 and the link 32 hanging freely from the opposite end of the channel section.

After the hook and chain sling have been thus laid in the channel section, the ladle 2 is lowered until the ladle bottom is approximately 3 to 5 inches above the beam 22, and the dumping lug 4 is centered approximately along the horizontal axis of the beam, as shown in solid lines in FIGURE 4. In many instances the visibility of a crane operator is limited due to the location of the crane cab and the remoteness of the area in which the lifting hooks are operating. Ordinarily, the crane operator manipulates the ladle under the guidance of signals from the workman on the ifoor. Under these conditions precision positioning of the heavy molten-metal ladle is difficult and time consuming. However, the flexible mounting of the beam 22 makes precision positioning of the ladle unnecessary. In using our turntable holder to aifix the ladle-dumping hook to the ladle, the ladle is placed in approximate position above the beam 3 22, then the floorma'n, while standing to one side of the area directly under the ladle, grasps the handle 27 at the end of the beam remote from the hook 30'and turns the beam around the swivel bolt in either direction and raises or lowers the end of the beam carrying the ladle-dumping hook by pushing down on or lifting up handle 27 as necessary to place the ladle-dumping hook in proper position to be engaged by the lug 4 as the ladle is racked or moved horizontally to the position shown by dash lines in FIGURE 4. The floor-man can further manipulate the beam by sliding it lengthwise by virtue of the slot 25 through which the shank of the swivel bolt 18 passes.

A dumping lift hoist hook 36 is then lowered to engage the connecting link 32 to complete the hook-up of the ladle-dumping hook to the lug 4. After the hook-up has been completed, the ladle crane is operated to move the ladle, with dumping and hoisting hooks attached, to the desired dumping area where the ladle is then manipulated by raising the dumping lift hoist hook until the ladle bottom has rotated 180 to remove the slag and debris.

The holder of our invention is preferably not permanently installed in one location on the pit floor so that it can be moved out of the way when not being used or moved to any location where needed or convenient for use. The base of the holder is of sufiicient size and weight to support the other elements of the holder in a steady manner without the danger of upsetting.

While one embodiment of our invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

21. Apparatus for connecting a dumping lift-hoist hook with the dump lug of a suspended molten metal ladle which comprises a turntable holder including an upright standard and a beam pivoted intermediate its ends on a vertical axis on said standard, a ladle-dumping hook having a bill adapted to engage said dump lug, said ladledumping hook resting on sid bearn adjacent one end thereof with said bill disposed upwardly and generally parallel with said beam, an elongated flexible member attached by one end to said ladle-dumping hook and extending therefrom on said beam toward the end thereof opposite said one end, and means on the free end of said flexible member adapted to be engaged by said dumping lift-hoist hook, said beam being adapted to carry said ladle-dumping hook under said suspended ladle for engagement with said dump lug.

2. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 characterized by said beam being a channel section disposed with its open side up.

3. Apparatus as defined by claim 2 in which said channel has a longitudinal slot through its bottom adjacent said one end thereof adapted to seat said ladle-dumping hook.

4. Apparatus as defined by claim 2 in which said vertical axis is an elongated shank projecting upwardly from said standard, and said channel has a longitudinal slot through its bottom intermediate the ends thereof for receiving said shank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 665,499 Baldt Jan. 8, 1901 2,718,040 Glynn Sept. 20, 1955 

1. APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING A DUMPING LIFT-HOIST HOOK WITH THE DUMP LUG OF A SUSPENDED MOLTEN METAL LADLE WHICH COMPRISES A TURNTABLE HOLDER INCLUDING AN UPRIGHT STANDARD AND A BEAM PIVOTED INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS ON A VERTICAL AXIS ON SAID STANDARD, A LADLE-DUMPING HOOK HAVING A BILL ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID DUMP LUG, SAID LADLEDUMPING HOOK RESTING ON SID BEAM ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF WITH SAID BILL DISPASED UPWARDLY AND GENERALLY PARALLEL WITH SAID BEAM, AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE MEMBER ATTACHED BY ONE END TO SAID LADLE-DUMPING HOOK AND EXTENDING THEREFROM ON SAID BEAM TOWARDS THE END THEREOF OPPOSITE SAID ONE END, AND MEANS ON THE FREE END OF SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED BY SAID DUMPING LIFT-HOIST HOOK, SAID BEAM BEING ADAPTED TO CARRY SAID LADLE-DUMPING HOOK UNDER SAID SUSPENDED LADLE FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID DUMP LUG. 